2NE1's whimsical Elle shoot

For the December issue of ELLE magazine, 2NE1 staged a coup d’état and stole the thunder from the Wonder Girl’s Wonderland shoot. Although they didn’t don bunny ears or outrageous hats, this top girl group portrayed their own fantasy fashion wonderland with dreamy expressions and “cuddly” critters.

The first shot is of 2NE1 doing what I say with trepidation; having a lunch date with a kangaroo and a polar bear.

Park Bom takes dreamlike doll to a whole new level in an adorable white dress with black piping and a gold detail skinny belt, which is paired with T-strapped shoes and white socks, this is absolute doll-like perfection at it’s best.

CL here is looking fierce with those impressive black wedges and leather pants. I love that she looks like she’s actually having a conversation with the stuffed kangaroo!

Oh, Minzy why so cute? I wish they gave her a different placement in this shot because the table cuts her in half. Of what I could see; a charmng taupe/tan leather jacket.

Sometimes the hair stylists of South Korea baffle me. Check that, make it most of the time. That hair is so matronly that it aged Dara, combined with her outfit, she looks like an evil stepmother with a polar bear as her henchman. I do like the white knee-length skirt but apart from that, I didn’t like anything else Dara wore. I found the wine colored ruffled blouse to be outdated and the shoes awkward when compared with the rest of the ensemble.

This is a better look for Dara who is dreamily gazing off in the distance. This mini nude shift dress is just lovely! It’s a great blend of simple mod fashion with eye-catching embellishments. The detailed stitching gives this a trendy vibe while the clean-cut of dress make it effortlessly elegant. My favorite detail is the bejeweled fur lined collar! It truly catapulted this dress from good to amazing. Although I’m not as enamored with the black rain boots as I am with the dress, they are cute though.

I have no words. Minzy just looks stunning. This elegant white floor length gown showcases her amazing dancer’s body. I do feel that the hat distracts a bit but Minzy makes sure that all eyes are on her with her sultry stare.

I found this shot to be the most captivating. Here CL is posed staring straight at the camera but you can’t see her eyes, something about this is just so remarkably arresting. Her black mini with the white piping accentuates her slim figure which nicely sets off the red lace umbrella.

Wearing what I can only say is the most darling white dress ever, Park Bom again emulates doll-like perfection. I love the cutout detailing on the sleeves and neckline! And those ash gray suede riding boots are exquisite. I must have them.

As lovely as Park Bom and CL were in this shot, the set was a distraction from the clothes. It doesn’t help that these outfits were lackluster in comparison to some of the other pieces they wore. CL is in black pants and jacket with a magenta geoprint top. Park Bom wore a dark navy sweater with denim shorts. I did notice that Park Bom wore the same shoes that Sohee wore for the Alice in Wonderland shoot and sweet cookies, those shoes are still amazing.

This was such an adorable shot that I just had to include it. Minzy is in a navy pea coat paired with printed black pants. It may be hard to see but the design is small luminous scales. It’s one of those pieces that look great in person but doesn’t photograph well. Dara’s long red knit sweater dress is eye-catching but it seems to be another mature look for her. Although I didn’t find anything here to be a noteworthy fashion piece, I do love the scene that is depicted. Doesn’t it look like Mama Dara trying to sooth a pouting Minzy with cake?

You can really see contrast of the two different looks side by side. CL is wearing a power suit with black wide leg slacks, white blouse and jacket. The size of the clutch is in good proportions with the outfit but I wish it was in a more lively color. Minzy is in a one piece dress that I’m not fond of. The bottom half seems to be made of a shiny fabric that makes it look a bit cheap and plastic. And the strip of buttons looks like an arrow pointing at her…ahem…place. I’m not a big fan of that.

From the Girl’s Generation doll shoot to the Wonder Girls’ wonderland, it seems like a fashion trend to do fantasy themed editorials. I didn’t exactly see the fairytale vibe but I did see many fantasy elements. It seemed more of a “Finding Neverland” combined with “Narnia” mix than fairytale. The only bone I have to pick was that the styling of Dara aged her. I know she is 27 (28 in Korean years) but if they styled Park Bom, who is the same age, in these youthful white dresses, I don’t see why they couldn’t do the same for Dara.

Other than that, it was a nice photo shoot but I was hoping for a much louder one. 2NE1 is known for their unique edgy style, I thought I was going to see something bright and absolutely amazing like Alice in Wonderland on acid. What did you think fellow Seoulbeaters? Did this photo shoot captivate you with it’s soft fantasy theme? Or do you crave a photo shoot true to 2NE1’s outrageous style?